Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School

Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk. (June 25, 2013)

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Teresa Rockwood (center), District Science Specialist at the Indian River County School District, checks in on students attending the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science. "It's empowering the students to be enough of a critical thinker in order to solve some real world problems," Rockwood said. "They're writing programs that are going to actually direct satellites to clean up some of our space debrisâ¦It's amazing what they're doing. It's high level physics, high level math, and they don't even know it."

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Cassidy Thimmer, 13, an upcoming 8th grader at Sebastian Middle School, creates a small scale paper model of a sphere satellite that the students are writing programs for to clean up space junk during the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. "I think it's really cool, confusing at times, but when we get it all done it's going to be an accomplishment that I'll remember for a long time," Thimmer said.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Marisa Shampime, 13, an upcoming 8th grade student at Sebastian Middle School, copies notes to be used while calculating computer programs to be used to help clean up space junk during the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. "It's fun to learn about science and math and you sort of have physics in it so it's kind of harder," Shampime said. "You get to control how your moving the satellites, and it would be kind of cool to see if mine can win, with my friends."

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.

ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Images from the Zero Robotics camp at Gifford Middle School on Tuesday. The camp, sponsored by NASA and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is all about getting students excited about science through the Zero Robotics game by creating computer programs to be used to help a satellite clean up space junk.